Player piano



Apr. 17, 1923.

w. B. TUNsTALl.

PLAYER PIANO Original Filed July 29, 1920 3 `Smeets-511%?, l

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w. B. TUNSTALL PLAYER PIANO Original Filed July 29, 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Apr. 17, 1923. l

W. B. TUNSTALL PLAYER PIANO Original 'iled July 29,

1920 3 Sheets- Sheet 3 www . WMM.

Patented Apr. 17, 1923.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM B. TUNSTALL, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

PLAYER PIANO.

Application filed .Tuly 29, 1920, Serial No. 399,738. Renewed October 14, 1922. Serial No. 594,657.

To all 107mm. t may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM B. TUN- sfrALL, a citizen oiC the United States, residing at lVoi-cester, in the county of lorcester and State ot Massachusetts, have 1nvented new and useful Improvements in Player Pianos, of which the following is a specification. h v

This invention is embodied in certain 1mprovements hereinafter described and claimed, relating to the case and to the automatic playing mechanism of a player plano.

One object ot the invention is to provide shift-able controlling means for the automatic playing mechanism, said controlling means being adapted to be stored in a retracted position when the piano is played manually, and so projected from the front ot the case, when the piano is played automatically, that the operator may maintain a natural posit-ion of the hands and operate the controlling means without cramping and tiring the fingers.

Another object is to enable the movable panel which alternately covers and exposes the usual roll-carrying mechanism, to serve as a music rack when the piano is played manually.

Another object is to provide a housing forthe pumping pedals, adapted to conceal said pedals when the piano is played manually, and to expose the pedals to permit automatic playing.

Another object is to enable the roll-carrying mechanism and the pumping pedals to be simultaneously covered and exposed, so that the piano may be adapted for either method of playing by a single operation.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part ot'this speciiicatiom- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the case and keyboard of a player piano embodying the invention. the roll-carrying mechanism and pumping pedals being concealed.

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the plane indicated by line 2*2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1,

showing the roll-carrying.mechanism and pumping pedals exposed.

Figure 4 is a section on the plane indicated by the line 4-4 ot' Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a section on line 6 6 of Figure 2.

Figure 'T is a perspective View of the panel which covers and exposes the pumping pedals.

Figure 8 is an enlarged section on line 8-S ot Figure 4.

Figure 9 is an enlargement or' a portion of Figure 4.

Figure 10 is a section on line 10-10 of Figure 9.

Figures 11 and 12 are fragmentary sectional views, showing certain connections hereinafter described.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the ligures.

The case front ot my improved piano includes substantially vertical portions 12, 12, above the keyboard 13, and a substantially vertical portion 14, below the keyboard, and preferably.' in the same plane with the portions 12. y

Projecting forwardly from the vertical portions ot the case front, above the key board, is an upper hood, indicated kas a whole by the reference numeral 15. Projecting forwardly from the ease front below the keyboard is a lower hood, indicated as a whole b v the reference numeral 16.

The upper hood 15 has an inclined front wall, vhich preferably includes fixed upper and lower members 17 and 18, formingthe upper and lower edges of an opening in the hood, and a movable panel 19 hinged at 19a (Figure l) to the lower member 18. The upper hood also includes liXed upright end members 20, on which the panel 19 rests when closed.r as indicated by Figure (3.

The roll-carrying mechanism which includes the usual spools 21 and 22, is located within and adjacent to the inclined trout of the hood 15. lVhen the panel 19 is displaced, as shown by Figure 4, the rollcarrying mechanism is exposed, and when is pivoted a manually movable linger lever 24, forming an element of the tempo-controlling means, and a casing 25, having manually movable push butt-ons 26, forming elements of dynamic control.

rlhe said controlling mechanism will be more fully described in detail hereinafter, it beiner suiiicient for the present to say that the casings 23 and 25 are adjacent to the 'swinging end ofthe panel 19, so that when the panel is displaced, as shown by Figures 3 and 4, said casing/s and the manually movable parts associated therewith, are proj ected forward, and are in such position that -the operator, in moving said parts, can

maintain a natural position of the hand, and control the pla-ying mechanism without cramping or tiring the fingers.

The lower hood 16 preferably includes a fixed bottom member 27, fixed end members 28, and a movable panel 29, adapted to slide in guides 30,y formed in and extending above the end members 28. y

The usual pumping pedals 31 pertaining to the automatic playing mechanism are located within and adjacent to the panel 29, and are hinged at 32 to the fixed member '27, located immediately above the usual sound-controlling pedals 34.

' The sliding panel 29 is adapted to gravitate to the closed posit-ion shown by Figures land 2, and when in said position, covers and conceals the pumping pedals 31, without obstructing the sound-controlling pedals 34.

To enable the panels 19 and 29 to be simultaneously operated, l' provide connections between said panels, so organized that when the hinged panel 19 is displaced or swung forward, the sliding panel 29 is moved upward in its guides. Said connections are preferably embodied in lever arms 35, fixed to the panel 19 and projecting from the hinged end thereof, flexible cords or straps 36 attached at their upper ends tothe arms 35, and at their lower ends to pulleys and fixed at their lower ends to the sliding 37, journaled to rotate on horizontal axes below the key bed of the piano, said cords passing under loose guiding pulleys 38, larger pulleys 39 coaxial with and fixed to the pulleys 37, and cords or straps 40, fixed to and partially wound upon the pulleys 39,

panels 29.

' When the hinged panel 19 is moved from the position shown by Figure 2, to that shownby Figure 4, the sliding panel 29 is raised to expose the pumping pedals. When the hinged panel 19 is returned to the position shown by Figure 2, the sliding panel 29 is depressed by its own weight. and covers the pumping pedals.

1t will now be seen that the operator is enabled` by swinging the hinged panel 19 to simultaneously cover the roll-carrying mechanismand the pumping pedals, as indicated by Figure 1, andv to expose said mechanism and pedals, as indicated by Figure3.

A dynamic control `means including the casing 25, is of the usual push-button type in common use, the usual push buttons 26 through which control is exercised, being projected forward from the piano case when in position for use. v

ln tempo control means including the casing 23, the lever 24 is fulcrumed at 24a, and the face 231L of the casing 23 is so arranged relative to the fulcrum 24a, that when the fingers of the operators right hand bear on said face, and the outer portion of thefright. hand thumb is engaged with the forked outer end 24" of the said lever, the first oint of the thumb is in such positionthat the thumb and the lever 24 may swing on substantially the Asame center, so lthat an easy lever-operating movement of the thumb is permitted, the casing 23 and lever 24 being also projected forward from the piano case.

The other elements of the dynamic control and tempo control means embody'` nothing new with me.

l will, however` briefly describe the same with' reference to Figures 11 and 1 2.

The push buttons 26 of the dynamic control are adapted to open a valve 41EL (Figure 8), which, when opened, allows atmospheric pressure to pass through a tube 41 (Figures 3, 8 and 11), vand force upward a. diaphragm 42 (Figure 11). A double valve 43 is ,thus lifted from a seat 47, and closed loo on a seat 45, so that vacuum pressure is alv lowed to pass through the conduit 44 to the interior of a power pneumatic (not shown), the movable leaf of which is suitably connected with the hammer rail, or with the dampers of the piano action. When the operator releases the push buttons 26, atmospheric pressure is released from thediaphragm 42, and the valve 43 closes on its seat 47 and allows atmospheric pressure to enter through the seat 45, so that the leaf of the said power pneumatic returns to its normal position. f

When the lever 24 of the tempo control is operated, it acts through suitable connections, including a rod 48, on a pull wire 49 (Figure 12), which is movable in the casing 50 of a well knownftype of. governor' for the windV rmotor which operates vthe roll mechanism. The pull wire is connected with a throttle valve 51, in the governor casing, and said valve regulates the speed of the wind motor as usual. The port through which air from the bellows enters the governor, is shown at 52. The orifice through which the pressure from the bellows passes is shown at 53. The spring valve adapted to be closed by a movement of the `usual bellows leaf 55, is shown at 54. The spring on which depends the amount of air pressure governed in this manner is shown at 56.

I claim:

l. A player piano comprising a case including a substantially vertical case front above the keyboard, and a hood located between the ends and projecting forward from the central portion of Said front, said hood having an inclined front wall which includes a. hinged panel which is movable to open and close the hood, roll-carrying mechanism extending forward from the case front into said hood, and rendered conveniently accessible by its forward extension when the hood is opened, said front wall being inclined relatively to the case front and thereby adapted to serve as a music rest when the hood is closed, and manually operable means carried by said panel for controlling the operation of automatic playing mecahnism within the case, said controlling means being projected from the case front by the panel, and rendered conveniently accessible, when the hood is opened, and concealed by the panel when the hood is closed. n

2. A player piano substantially as specified by claim l, the said panel being hinged at its lower edge, and' caused to project forward from the case front when opened, and said controlling means being located on the back side of the panel, and carried forward from the case front by the opening of the panel, means being provided for supporting the panel in a predetermined openedv position, with the controlling means accessible to the hands of the operator.

3. A player piano comprising a caseincluding a substantially vertical case front below the keyboard, and a hood projecting forward from the central port-ion of said front, said hood having an inclined front wall which includes a slidable panel, which is movable to open and close the hood, and a fixed bottom member projecting forward from the case front; pumping pedals connected with automati-c playing mechanism within the case, and hinges fixed to the projecting portion of said bottom member and to said pedals, said hinges and the lower portions of the pedals projecting from the case front, so that the pedals are conveniently accessible, the pedals being housed within the hood, concealed by the panel when the hood is closed, and covered by the panel when the hood is opened.

4. A player piano comprising a case including a substantially vertical case front below the keyboard, and a hood projecting forward from the central portion of said front, said hood having an inclined front wall which includes a slidable panel, which is movable to open and close the hood, and a fixed bottom member projecting forward from the case front; pumping pedals connected with automatic playing mechanism f within the case, hinges fixed to the projecting portion of said bottom member and to said pedals, said hinges and the lower portions of the pedals projecting from the case front, so that the pedals are conveniently accessible, the pedals being housed within the hood, concealed by the panel when the hood is closed, and covered by the panel when the hood is opened; and sound-governing pedals located below and projecting forward from the fixed bottom member of the hood, and operable when the hood is either closed or open.

5. A player piano comprising a case including a substantially vertical case front below the keyboard, and a hood projecting forward from the central portion of said front, said hood havinga front wall which includes a slidable panel which is movable to open and close the hood, and a fixed bottom member projecting forward from the case front, the case being provided with inclined guides formed partly in the hood and partly within the case front above the hood, the panel being slidable in an inclined path in said guides; pumping pedals hinged to the projecting portion of said bottom member, said pedals being connected with automaticy playing mechanism within the case, and concealed by the panel when the hood is closed, and covered by the panel when the hood is opened.

6. A player piano comprising a case including a forwardly projecting upper hood, located above the keyboard, and a forwardly projecting lower hood, located below the keyboard, roll-carrying` -mechanism within and adjacent to the front wall of the upper hood, pumping pedals within and adjacent to the front wall of the lower hood, and connected with automatic playing mechanism within said' case, said front walls including movable panels, one of which is hinged and the other slidable, and connections between said panels, adapted to convert a swinging movement of the hinged panel into a sliding` irovement of` the sliding panel.

7. A player piano comprising a` case, automatic playing mechanism therein, said case including a forwardly projecting upper hood, located above the keyboard, and a forwardly projecting lower hood, located below the keyboard, roll-carrying mechanism within and adajacent to the front wall of the upper hood, pumping pedals within 'and adjacent to the front wall of the lower hood, said front walls including movable panels, one of which is hinged and the other Y rsl1dable,and connections between said panels,

adapted to convert a downward swinging movement of the hinged panel into an upward sliding movement of the sliding panel, the latter being adapted to be moved kdownward by gravity when the swinging panel Ais moved upward.

hood, pumping pedals within and adjacent to the ront wall of the lower hood, and connected with automatic playing mechanism within the case, the upper hood including a .panel hinged atits lower edge to swing outwardly, and the lower hood including fixed portions having guides and a panel slidable in said guides, andv normally loweredand closed by its own weight, and connections .between said panels whereby, when the upper panel is swung downward, to expose the roll-carrying mechanism, the lower panel is raised to expose the pumping pedals.

ln testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

vWILLIAM B. TUNSTALL. 

